Leaving Grenada

We found this critter on our very long Monday walk...which started at Prickly Bay, to True Blue Bay and ended up at St George's College...a college for physicians and veterinarians. If you ask Paul it was a "42 mile walk"...yes, I agree that it would have had to been measured in miles...just not sure it was that many! Anyway, we are use to seeing goats and sheep tethered (and free-range) everywhere...this guy was a bit unusual! We stopped a young lady to ask directions and I asked her how she liked Grenada. She is in Grenada with her husband and young son...I forgot where they are from (the U.S. somewhere)...but her husband is getting his doctorate...anyway, she said it took her awhile to like Grenada...hmmmm. Tuesday morning we left Prickly Bay to go into the Grenada Yacht Club for a couple of days. This was so the batteries could get happy. P&J went with us (on the Lady H) so they could shop in St George's then take the bus back to Delphinus still anchored in Prickly Bay. We determined later it would have taken them much less time if they had taken the bus BOTH ways! Motoring around the point was painfully slow, even with the main sail we only gained an additional knot in 25 knot winds...the reason...a beautiful little garden growing on the bottom and on the prop! We got into the lagoon and were going in to the dock stern to...we had to wait for another boat to re-position...and then a hippie from St John moved his boat in front of us and was protecting his 11:30 am appointment for fuel - in other words BLOCKING us from docking... the dockmaster was trying to get him to move out of the way...it took the guy a little while to "get it" and by the time we got up and manuvered...P at the bow line, me at the stern lines and J on bumper duty...the winds gusted over 25 knots even in the lagoon...the bow line in the bow thruster (thankfully the line wrapped around the prop so that came up to the surface and was able to be saved)...so with no bow thruster and the wind in control...the dockmaster took a stern line from me and pulled the Lady H as much as he could with his little boat...the gentleman on the boat that had just re-positioned came over to help and grabbed that line from the dockmaster and held it fast on a cleat...then the dockmaster took the other stern line and pulled us farther so we could nestle in to the concrete dock. Whewwww...more excitement than we needed! Getting on and off the boat would be our excerise for the next two days!! It was a jump way up...or a balance...or a jump way down... well, I guess you would just have to have been there...remarkable that neither Paul nor I fell in!! After we got plugged in, we headed for the downtown area on the bus. The buses here are great...(I make sure I always say a general good morning, or the appropriate greeting when we get on...sometimes I get a response...other times not...but I try) only 2.50 e.c. which is less than a dollar to get into town. We were actually looking for the bank for Paul...but got waylaid by the market (more towels), some thyme (they sell it as "clive and thyme" here...basically a bunch of chive onions...some basil...and some thyme...one cannot buy fresh thyme by itself) and then the downtown grocery store (eggs and bananas for bread). By the time (a little after 2) we asked where the bank was...a very nice gentleman told us it was just a few more blocks...but that we had just missed it...it had already closed...at 2:00pm. So back to the Yacht Club. Sunsets were beautiful! By 8:00pm when Paul switched battery chargers...our shore power went out (we had gained only 95 amp hours back)! A little of this (a few "jumps" to the dock by me) ...a little of that (Paul switching switches)...still no shore power! An electrician was called the next morning...good thing we didn't wait for him to show up and went out to run our errands anyway...and that Paul knows his boat...as the electrician finally showed up after 5:00pm. By then Paul had figured out a different way of wiring the Lady H...and we kept trying...it was about 4:30pm...shore power was back on! (A very nice note on this...the GYC did not charge for the power that we did use). It also took us two days to fill the water tanks...off and on...it seemed every morning and every evening there would be no water on the docks...not sure if this was a safety/security issue or not...but by the time we left we were almost full! We took the dingy over to the other side of the lagoon...of course pictures and there was a cruise ship in! So with the batteries up over two hundred amp hours...we left these critters on the dock and the lagoon Thursday noonish...and anchored around the point at Grand Anse Beach. The water is clear there...and we knew before we went anywhere else...yes, the garden needed to be tended to! The water in Prickly Bay is not clear - or in very many of the other Bays here either and I kind of insist that to clean the bottom we should be in somewhat clear water so that even though we are not right together we can still see each other. The absolute coolest is that we suited up and Paul was able to fix the bow thruster in the water...then he went to work on the prop...as I worked on the rest! There was a current which made this bottom cleaning more difficult also less bottom paint left so it is more difficult to get the garden growings off...but between the two of us we actually did get the bottom pretty darn clean! We took the scuba tanks in to a local Grand Anse Dive Shop...got them filled and motored back over to Prickly Bay. Yes, a huge difference...over 6 knots (versus 3 knots)...same rpm. We checked out of the country of Grenada...hoping to leave Friday ...we are now waiting until early Sunday morning for our full day sail to the Testigos (14 hours or so). We are waiting on a part that P&J need for their boat and...well...that's another frustrating story for them. Anyway, it was great to visit Grenada...I really REALLY wanted to like Grenada...I just can't say that I do...maybe like the young lady (above)...it takes some practice and time to really like Grenada! So, on Sunday...Happy Easter everyone!! And, mom I forgot when I responded to you...so I thought I would say it here...HE IS RISEN INDEED!!! We will be out of email contact until Thursday when we arrive in Margarita VZ.